This invention relates generally to the design and operation of a system for producing electrical power. More specifically, the invention relates to a system for producing electrical power with a fuel cell, especially a proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell (PEMFC).
Purified hydrogen is an important fuel source for many energy conversion devices. For example, fuel cells use purified hydrogen and an oxidant to produce an electrical potential. A process known as steam reforming produces by chemical reaction hydrogen and certain byproducts or impurities. A subsequent purification process removes the undesirable impurities to provide hydrogen sufficiently purified for application to a fuel cell.
In a steam reforming process, one reacts steam and a carbon-containing compound over a catalyst. Examples of suitable carbon-containing compounds include, but are not limited to, alcohols (such as methanol or ethanol) and hydrocarbons (such as methane or gasoline or propane). Steam reforming requires an elevated operating temperature, e.g., between 250 degrees centigrade and 1300 degrees centigrade, and produces primarily hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Some trace quantities of unreacted reactants and trace quantities of byproducts such as carbon monoxide also result from steam reforming. When a steam reforming unit, or fuel processor, is started from a cold, inactive state, it must be preheated to at least a minimum operating temperature before the above reforming reaction will take place. A need exists for efficient and alternative methods for this preheating of a steam reforming unit. Efficient operation of the fuel processor also requires careful indexing and control of the ratios of water and carbon-containing feedstock. It is also necessary to maintain and control the purity of the water feeds used with the steam reforming unit and fuel cell.
The invented system includes a fuel-cell system comprising a fuel cell that produces electrical power from air (oxygen) and hydrogen, and a fuel processor that produces hydrogen from a variety of feedstocks. One such fuel processor is a steam reformer which produces purified hydrogen from a carbon-containing feedstock and water. In the invented system, various mechanisms for implementing the cold start-up of the fuel processor are disclosed, as well as mechanisms for optimizing and/or harvesting the heat and water requirements of the system, and maintaining desired the feed ratios of feedstock to water in the fuel processor and purity of the process water used in the system.
Many other features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which preferred embodiments incorporating the principles of this invention are disclosed as illustrative examples only.